Stephen Espinoza Says Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford Looks Promising
Will fight fans finally see the welterweight showdown between unified champion Errol Spence Jr (28-0, 22 KOs) and WBO champion Terence Crawford in 2023 (39-0, 30 KOs)? According to Showtime executive Stephen Espinoza, signs point towards it being the case.
KEEPING HIS FINGERS CROSSED
Espinoza is the president of Sports and Entertainment Programming for Showtime. While in Las Vegas making the media rounds for the April 22 match between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Ryan Garcia, he spoke to media source FightHype about the probability of Spence vs Crawford happening this year.
“It’s been long and sort of grueling, but we’re closer now than we were at our closest point last fall, and I’m optimistic. There was a point where discussions had completely stopped. But they picked up the last couple of months, and we are making progress . . . I’m optimistic; I think we will get a deal done.”
Signs were pointing toward the fight happening in November 2022. But unfortunately, things broke down during negotiations. Espinoza believes the major stumbling block is Spence and Crawford being at odds over split percentages and earning potential beyond a guaranteed purse.
There were rumblings from certain folks in the boxing community who claimed the fight is set for June 17. Espinoza said that is fake news and talks are ongoing. It is his belief that if all parties come to an agreement, the fight will occur in either late summer or early fall.
For several years, fans have wanted to see them fight one another. The disappointment was palpable when the matchup failed to take place last year. Fans hope they finally do what’s necessary to make it a reality. Stay tuned to 3kingsboxing.com for continual updates.
